Book excerpt: New, significant scientific discoveries in laser and photonic technologies, systems perspectives, and integrated design approaches can improve even further the impact in critical areas of challenge. Yet this knowledge is dispersed across several disciplines and research arenas. Laser and Photonic Systems: Design and Integration brings together a multidisciplinary group of experts to increase understanding of the ways in which systems perspectives may influence laser and photonic innovations and application integration. By bringing together chapters from leading scientists and technologists, industrial and systems engineers, and managers, the book stimulates new thinking that would bring a systems, network, and system-of-systems perspective to bear on laser and photonic systems applications. The chapters challenge you to explore opportunities for revolutionary and broader advancements. The authors emphasize the identification of emerging research and application frontiers where there are promising contributions to lasers, optics, and photonics applications in fields such as manufacturing, healthcare, security, and communications. The book contains insights from leading researchers, inventors, implementers, and innovators. It explains a variety of techniques, models, and technologies proven to work with laser and photonic systems, their development, design, and integration. Such systems are of growing interest to many organizations, given their promise and potential solutions of grand societal challenges. Lastly, the book helps you leverage the knowledge into exciting new frontiers of successful solutions.